Control device



G. J. KENNEDY ET AL 3,009,438

CONTROL DEVICE Nov. 21, 1961 Filed Aug. 24, 1959 INVENTORS a/zaiflr J. KI/VA Ew W/zz MM 4 WEI)" 1 ite The present invention relates to control devices and more particularly to that class of devices in which a supersonic signal is mechanically generated to effect the control of equipment having means designed to respond to the generated signal, and it is an object of this invention to provide an improved arrangement which insures these results.

Also an object of the invention is to provide a novel mechanism in which only slight displacement of a manually operable lever is required to cause the striking element to impinge sharply upon the resonator. This feature of the invention is particularly advantageous in that it makes it possible to reduce the overall size of the control device thus facilitating its handling and manipulation.

The invention is further characterized by the provision of a distinctive combination of elements which cooperate to bring about mechanical advantages which enhance the wave generating function of the resonator.

Toward realization of these general objects and cha'- acteristic features, the invention utilizes a compound or articulated leverage system constructed and arranged to act upon the hammer means in a manner which results in imparting considerable energy to said hammer means so that upon being released it impinges with substantial force upon the resonator thus assuring proper operation of the device for obtaining a desired remote control function. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the improved mechanism comprises a pair of articulately joined levers, one of said levers being pivoted for manual operation, the other of said levers being provided with an offset element engageable with the hammer means to operate the same in response to manual operation of said one of said levers. Also, in the preferred embodiment, the improved device includes a simple arrangement of interengageable means which provides for proper suspension of the vibratory element with respect to the hammer means thus insuring that the latter will properly strike said element. 7

The invention and the manner in which the above noted and other objects and features are obtained will be more fully understood from the following description based upon the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a device constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in FIGURE 1, a portion of the primary lever being broken away for better illustration of cooperatively associated parts of the secondary lever and abutment located behind said primary lever;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, with the primary lever removed from the supporting structure and illustrating the resonator rod and its locking finger in one position;

FIGURE 4- is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the resonator rod and its locking finger in a different position;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, looking in the general direction of arrows 5-5 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is an explanatory view schematically illustrating the manner in which the articulately joined levers operate to actuate the striker-carrying resilient plate.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, the illustrated apparatus comprises: a supporting structure 3,009,438 Patented Nov. 21, 1961 ire 10; a vibratory member or resonator 12 having a predetermined resonant frequency; hammer means 14 (FIG- URE 1) operable to strike said resonator for mechanically generating a supersonic signal; and mechanism 15 adapted for manual actuation to operate said striking member or resonator.

The supporting structure 10 consists of an elongated channel member 16 providing side walls or lateral wings 1'7 and 18 confronting each other. As will be subsequently described in greater detail, the wing 17 is adapted to support the resonator 12 and its associated hammer means 14, whereas the other wing 18 is adapted to support the mechanism 15 for operating said hammer means.

The vibratory member or resonator 12 is of the customary type consisting of a cylindrical bar or rod 19 of suitable material, preferably metal. This rod is loosely suspended within the space between the wings 17 and 18 of the supporting structure. For that purpose and in accordance with the invention, a bracket 20 is anchored on the wing17 and has a rigid plate 21 spanning said space, said platebeing provided with an aperture 21a to accommodate the rod 19.

As more clearly appears in FIGURES 3 and 4, this rod accommodating aperture is in the general shape of a keyhole having an area 22 slightly larger than the diameter of the rod 19 to permit its engagement with said bracket, and another area 23 slightly smaller than the diameter of said rod whereby marginal portions defining said smaller area seat themselves within an annular groove 24 about said rod. In this manner, the rod 19 is retained in its operative position on the bracket 20, being locked thereon by means of a finger 25 attached to said bracket to swing on a pivot 26 from an unlocking position shown in FIGURE 4, to a locking position shown in FIGURE 3 where said finger enters the groove 24. The finger 25 is secured in rod locking position by means of frictionally engageable portions 27 (FIGURE 4) provided on said finger and on the bracket plate 21.

The hammer means 14 also is of known type consisting of a striking element 28 aflixed to a resilient plate 29. As illustrated in the drawing, this striking element is supported in longitudinal alignment with the resonator or rod 19 and in close proximity to one end thereof by means of a second bracket 30 anchored on the wing 17 of the supporting structure to clamp a bent section 31 (FIG- URE 1) of the resilient plate 29.

In order that the striking element 28 may impinge upon the facing end 19a of the resonating rod 19 with maximum impact and immediately thereafter move away and remain out of contact with said end so as not to interfere with vibratory action of the rod, it is important that said striking element and rod be located in a position where their confronting surfaces are accurately spaced from each other. In the illustrated embodiment, proper spacing between the longitudinally aligned striking element 28 and rod 19 is readily obtained by axial adjustment of said rod with respect to the striking element. To provide for this adjustment, the rodcarrying bracket 2! and the bracket supporting wing 17 are constructed and associated in a manner which makes it possible to slide said bracket and thereby move the rod 19 nearer to or further away from the striking element 28. For that purpose, and as best illustrated in FIGURE 5, the bracket 20 has laterally projecting tongue 32 held sli-dably captive within an elongated slot 33 in the supporting wing 17, the latter also having an elongated aperture 34 for sliding movement of a securing element 35 in screw-threaded engagement with said bracket. It will be understood that adjustment of the rod 19 with respect to the striking element requires merely loosening the securing element 35 and sliding the bracket 20, and that the fixing of the rod in adjusted position requires only tightening of the securing element which then cooperates With the captive tongue 32 to prevent displacement of said bracket.

The mechanism 15 operable to actuate the striking element 28 comprises an articulated leverage system consisting of a simple primary lever 36 and a generally V-shaped or angular secondary lever 38, the latter being hingedly connected at its apex to one end of the primary lever by means of a pivot pin 39. The primary lever 36 of said leverage system is journalled at its intermediate portion for rocking displacement on a fulcrum 40 afiixed to the wing 18 of the supporting structure, this rocking displacement being limited by means of a stop 41 which is rigid with said primary lever and disposed to contact marginal portions defining an opening 42 within which said stop is located. A spring 43 connected as shown at 43a to the supporting structure and connected as shown at 43b to the primary lever 36 normally urges and resiliently maintains the latter in an inoperative position on said structure, as clearly seen in FIGURE 2. In this position, a push-button 44 carried by the remaining free end 45 of the primary lever 36 is adapted to be manually depressed in the direction indicated by the arrow A to rock said lever in the direction indicated by the arrow B in said FIGURE 2.

One arm of the angular secondary lever 38 is provided with an offset element 46 whereas the other arm of said secondary lever has a wedging portion 47 and a guiding portion 48. The wedging portion 47 is arranged in riding engagement with a fixed abutment 49 on the supporting structure and cooperates therewith to impart a swinging motion to the secondary lever 38 when displaced in response to rocking movement of the primary lever. This swinging motion of the secondary lever brings the offset element 46 in engagement with the spring plate 29 to operate the striking element 28 in a manner to be described later. The guiding portion 48 of secondary lever 38 frictionally bears upon one side of the wing 18 of the supporting structure to stabilize said secondary lever during its swinging movement. In the manner the secondary lever is maintained in proper relation with respect to the primary lever to assure proper engagement between the wedging portion 47 and the abutment 49.

Another spring 50 connected as shown at 50a to the primary lever 36 and connected as shown at to the secondary lever 38, resiliently links said levers 36 and 38 and serves to return the secondary lever 38 to its normal position when the spring 43 brings primary lever 36 back to its normal position following the depression and release of the push button 44.

The manner in which the above described device operates will be best understood upon reference to the explanatory FIGURE 6 in which the illustrated parts are designated by the same reference characters which identify corresponding parts in the other figures of the drawmg.

As seen in this FIGURE 6, depression of the push button 44 in the direction of arrow A rocks the primary lever 36 about its fulcrum 40 so that said lever moves from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in broken lines. In this movement, the angular secondary lever 38 being connected by means of the pivot pin 39 to the primary lever, moves therewith in the general direction represented by the arrow B. During this motion, the wedging portion 47 of the angular lever 38 rides on the abutment 49 and imparts pivotal movement to said angular lever so that its offset element 46 swings in an arcuate path represented by arrow C.

In the course of this swinging motion, the element 46 comes in contact with the spring plate 29 and as represented in broken lines and best seen in FIGURE 1, deflects said plate so as to effect movement of the striking element 28 from its normal position N to a taut position T away from the end of the vibratory member or rod 19. The offset element 46 in its continued motion along path C glides out of engagement with and releases the spring plate 29, whereupon the latter springs back so that the striking element 28 suddenly shifts from the taut position T to a striking position S where said element impinges sharply upon the end of the vibratory member 1?. Immediately following the moment of impact, the resilient plate 29 moves said striking element out of contact with the vibratory member 19 so as not to interfere with its signal generating function.

Upon release of the push button 44, the springs 43 and 50 cooperate to return the interconnected levers 36 and 38 to their normal position. It will be understood that in this return movement the element 46 engages the reverse side of the resilient plate 29. However, this latter engagement will not cause the resilient plate 29 to flex snfiiciently to bring the striking element 28 in contact with the vibratory member 19 because the stiffness of said resilient plate forces the comparatively weaker spring 50 to yield. As a result, the angular lever 38 swings reversely on its pivot pin 39 so that the element 46 rides over the edge of the resilient plate, thereby clearing the same and finally returning to its initial or normal position.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a compact unit in which simple, and readily constructed and assembled elements, cooperate in a distinctive manner to generate a supersonic signal capable of effecting adequate remote control of equipment responsive to the generated signal. Although a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it will be understood that the invention embraces such changes and variations as may come within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a device provided with a vibratory member and with a striking element operable to deliver a blow to said member, mechanism for actuating said element comprising a supporting structure having means engaging and suspending said member and said element adjacent one another, a primary lever having an intermediate portion and a first end portion and a second end portion, said lever having means pivotally connecting said intermediate portion of said lever to said structure, means arranged at said first end portion of said primary lever to operate said lever for pivotal movement from an inoperative position, spring means connected to said supporting structure and to said primary lever and yieldably urging the said lever to said inoperative position, a secondary lever having an intermediate portion and a first end portion and a second end portion, said secondary lever being articulately joined at its said intermediate portion to said second end portion of said primary lever for movement with said lever and also for swinging motion with respect to said lever, means for imparting said swinging motion to said secondary lever, said last named means including interengageable camming portions, one of said camming portions being provided on said supporting structure and the other of said camming portions being provided on said first end portion of said secondary lever, spring means connected to said primary lever and to said secondary lever and yieldably urging said secondary lever in a position for interengagement of said carnming portions, and means on said second end portion of said secondary lever and moving with said swinging motion of said secondary lever into engagement with said striking element to operate said element in response to operation of said primary lever.

2, In a device provided with a vibratory member and with a striking element operable to deliver a blow to said member, mechanism for actuating said element comprising a supporting structure, a first bracket anchored on said structure, said first bracket having means engaging and suspending the mentioned vibratory member, a second bracket anchor on said structure, a resilient plate carried by said second bracket and carrying the mentioned striking element and supporting said element adjacent said member, a primary lever journalled on said supporting structure and adapted to be manually operated for pivotal movement from an inoperative position, spring means connected to said supporting structure and to said primary lever and yieldably urging said lever to said inoperative position, a secondary lever articulately joined to said primary lever for movement with said primary lever and also for swinging motion with respect to said lever, means for imparting said swinging motion to said secondary lever, said last named means including an abutment on said supporting structure and a cam surface on said secondary lever for riding engagement with said abutment, spring means connected to said primary lever and to said secondary lever and yieldably urging said secondary lever in said engagement with said abutment, and an element carried by said secondary lever for engagement with said resilient plate first to tension and then to release said plate for operating said striking element in response to manual operation of said primary lever.

3 The mechanism set forth in claim 2, in which the mentioned supporting structure and one of the mentioned brackets are provided with interengageable means for adjusting said one of said brackets with respect to the other of said brackets and for securing said one of said brackets in its adjusted position on said structure.

4. The mechanism set forth in claim 2, in which the mentioned supporting structure has elongated apertured portions, and one of the mentioned brackets is mounted on said structure for adjustment thereon with respect to the other of said brackets by means of a locking finger and a securing element, said finger extending from said one of said brackets and slidably received in one of said apertured portions, and said securing element being in screw threaded engagement with said one of said brackets and slidable in the other of said apertured portions.

5. In a device provided with a vibratory member and with a striking element operable to deliver a blow to said member, mechanism for actuating said element comprising a supporting structure having a first wing and a second wing confronting and spaced from said first wing, 21 first bracket anchored on said first wing, a rigid plate carried by said first bracket to span said space, means provided on said rigid plate and engaging the mentioned vibratory member to suspend said member between said wings, a resilient plate carried by said second bracket to span said space, said resilient plate carrying the mentioned striking element and supporting said element adjacent said member, a primary lever journalled on said second wing and adapted to be manually operated for pivotal movement from an inoperative position, spring means connected to said supporting structure and to said primary lever and yieldably urging said lever to said inoperative position, a secondary lever articulately joined to said primary lever for movement with said lever and also for swinging motion with respect to said lever, means for imparting said swinging motion to said secondary lever, said last named means including an abutment on said second wing and a cam surface on said secondary lever for riding engagement with said abutment, spring means connected to said primary lever and to said secondary lever and yieldably urging said lever to a posi tion for engagement of said surface with said abutment, and an element carried by said secondary lever for engagement with said resilient plate first to tension and then to release said plate for operating said striking element in response to manual operation of said primary lever.

Roseman Aug. 7, 1956 Ehlers Feb. 4, 1958 

